Arshad Khan is a rare modern exponent of the esraj, a bowed instrument from Bengal which can mimic the cry of the human voice with startling accuracy.

Learn more about the music:

Arshad Khan is a leading exponent of the esraj, a rare bowed-fretted instrument from Bengal, long associated with Sikh devotional music. The instrument has been declining in popularity for decades, but is enjoying a small resurgence thanks to the ‘Gurmat Sangeet’ revival movement of Silk spiritual song. Arshad plays classically as well as bringing his instrument’s rich, vocalistic tone to soundtracks and fusion projects.

Bhairavi is often described as the ‘queen of ragas’. It takes its name from the Hindu goddess of destruction, and conjures versatile moods. To some it can evoke ‘awe, terror, and chaos’; to others ‘a pleasant sobering atmosphere of love and piety’. It is played at sunrise, or alternatively as the final piece in a concert. Understanding the raga in depth is crucial to Hindustani learning - bansuri master Rupak Kulkarni recounts the approach of his guru Hariprasad Chaurasia: “Guruji taught me Raag Bhairavi for five years. When I complained about the repetition, he said: ‘You have to practice Bhairavi until your last breath’. That is what made me realize what swarabhyas [the study of notes] means”.

It is based on the form SrgmPdnS - all swaras [notes] are komal [flattened] except Sa, Ma, and Pa, like the Western Phrygian scale or Carnatic Raga Hanumatodi. The vadi and samvadi [king and queen notes] are typically taken to be Ma and Sa. The raga commonly takes a versatile mishra (‘mixed’) form - all 12 notes are allowed, thus injecting some comparatively rare chromaticism into Hindustani music. Its flexibility is unmatched in the raga pantheon.

Recorded by Darbar on location in Mulshi, India:
- Arshad Khan (esraj)

Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.